Sunday, November 28, 2010

Gadzooks it is possible

Just when I thought grocery shopping for a family of four for two weeks under $200 was impossible the possible happened! 14 days of meals with room to spare for $184. Now we aren't eating prime rib or caviar here but we eat just fine as my hips would clearly give you enough evidence to suggest that we get by just fine.

Anywho here it is for your viewing pleasure!

Sunday- stuffed peppers with whole grain rice, whole grain Italian loaf and ginger cookies

Monday- Mexican crock pot chicken w/ whole grain rice (made Sunday) and pudding- after all we are kids at heart.

Tuesday- Shake and bake pork chops, baked potatoes, broccoli and apple sauce for desert.

Wednesday- Spaghetti & garlic toast

Thursday- Tomato soup (its a weekly staple here), tuna melts, fruit salad

Friday- Home made whole grain pizza and salad and pudding

Saturday- Home made chicken fingers with Sweet potato fries and ginger cookies

Sunday- Pirogies with onions and bacon, mixed veggies and apple sauce

Monday- home made mac'n'cheese, green beans

Tuesday- Honey dijon chicken, potatoes and peas

Wednesday- Soup & sandwiches

Thursday- Loaded potato soup with Italian bread.

4 medium Potatoes, peeled and cubed
3/4 cup chopped Onion
1 small Carrot, chopped
1/4 cup chopped Celery
1 1/2 cups Chicken Broth
3 tablespoons Butter, cubed
3 tablespoons Flour
2 1/2 cups Milk
1 tablespoon Parsley
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1 cup shredded Cheese

Add bacon or ham if you wish

Tip: double recipe as its a family fav!

Preparation:

In saucepan, combine potatoes, onion, carrots, celery, and broth. Bring to boil, reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes. Lightly mash. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, melt butter, stiri n flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir into potato mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add parsley, salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted


Friday- Pancakes & bacon (who doesn't love a little breaky for din din? Heck we may even throw in some chocolate chips just to be bad)

Saturday- BIG family dinner for all December babies so we are ordering Nona's lasagna for this shin dig!

Sunday- Grocery day!

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Joy and Magic

Today was a first glimpse of the future for us Superfam. I realized today that we have had it pretty simple up until this morning. It was our challenge to get up, get ready and get out the door for Swimming lessons and then to haul the fam to Christmas Town. This is a lofty goal at the best of times but to do more then one event in one day is like a kamikaze mission for me (I only claim the title Supermom, I don't actually believe I have any time saving superpowers).

The day went like this:

Wake up, bust butts to get shower, get dressed x 4 and eat x 4
Pack bags, make lunches x 2
Install carseats x 2
Pack car
Check car
Nag nag nag to get a certain ah hem Superdad moving
Re-check car
Realize Camera is not packed
Drive x 4 across town for swimming lessons
Drop x 2 off at lessons, take x 1 to bank and coffee shop for Superparent lunch (java is important whilst travelling).
Pick up x 2 from swimming, dry hair thoroughly
Install x 2 into car and feed
Drive 1hr through winter wonderland and grip door and center console and pray
Arrive to a Magical Christmas Town
Watch the joy of Christmas through the eyes of a child

PRICELESS




Monday, November 22, 2010

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Tummy Rumblings and other things

So between copious amounts of laundry and cuddling two sick kids who have decided that displaying the contents of their stomach is a great add to our weekly routine and putting in my 33.75hrs at work I managed to squeeze out a meal plan for the week!

Superdad and I both recognized about a month ago that we were throwing money away by grocery shopping AND picking up take out and from package to table meals. So it was my goal to cut the budget by half and create a kid friendly, healthy and easily prepared meal plan. Off I set during a *ahem quiet day (not, not at work) with a blank calendar and the interwebs. So often our family gets into a rut where we eat the same familiar things and we all complain about the not so favourite meals.

I planned for two months in advance and every two weeks I would sit down with my menu and create our grocery list in and itemized manner and set out with my enviro-unfriendly plastic shopping bags from the months before where I spent .05 cents per gag in my non-frugal haste (I readily enjoy going to a store with a competitors bag and get in line in front of the crunchy-granola-mom-with-her-organic-spun-in-her-own-home-cotton-dyed-with-organic-carrot-juice-sewn-by-her-love-grocery-bags I feel the burn of her scowl in the back of my head- sorry if you are reading, I do try to be that mom but its a standard I'm not sure I can live up to) Anywho our little system appears to be working and I'm amazed how two weeks worth of meals can last as long as they do! Leftovers for lunch saves both Superdad and I a boatload too by not having to buy lunches out!

This week's plan goes as follows:

Sunday- Roasted free range chicken, mashed potatoes (reserve leftovers), broccoli and Mmmmm Apple Crisp.

Monday- Shepards pie (utilizing lefotver mashed and gravy).

Tuesday- Chicken Divan (utilizing leftover broccoli and chicken)

Wednesday- Tomato soup and Tuna melts

Thursday- Homemade Mac and Cheese and salad

Friday- Perogies w/ bacon & onions and corn

Saturday- Home made pizza with salad

Sunday- Lasagna

Off to start Superkid and Tank's lunch! Feel free to link to your meal plans and tips!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

What I have learned

In three years of marriage.

... there is no such thing as perfection. Heck there isn't even such thing as a mid point. Every day is a work in progress. Learning to forget expectations and moving past the belief that if you do something for 21 days it is supposed to create a habit are keys to success. Clearly 21 days of beating the proverbial dead horse on how to clean the spitties off my sink does nothing for habits.

... it doesn't matter if you are wearing circa 2005 granny panties, or the black lacy skivvies its all sexy to your hubby with 2 small children who suck every ounce of energy out of you on a daily basis, even if you have only spent a grand total of 4.5 waking hours with them.

... both members of a partnership stink when they fart. Yep- its true. You don't enter a relationship with non smelling gas you just hide it well.

... toilet paper over or under is the least of your worries. Pick battles and move on, quite honestly we could all take a little lesson to 'not sweat the small stuff'.

... no matter how annoying it sounds always say I love you. Everyone needs to hear it- daily, hourly, whenever you feel the need to say it, say it.

... communication is not something you come by naturally. Sure it's easy to have a small talk convo with your neighbour Bob, but to actually have it make any meaning to one another you need to hone in those skills by practicing daily. So many things get in the way of daily lives (ie: computer time) we rarely spend time in plain human conversation so then we again (refer to #1) expect our partners to just get it and then throw a 3 year old hissy when they don't get it... Counterproductive to learning how to understand I do believe.

... you need 2 TV's. Well you don't, but when you have a hubby that is addicted to video games and shows that you don't appreciate why argue settle it with an even bigger and nicer TV. Ok or even a 19" screen will do, heck I'd even settle for a TV with cable at this point. Hence so many blog posts in 1 24hr period.

... wear ear plugs those little orange foamy chunks of wonder are a life saver in this house. "go get help for your snoring" just ain't gonna happen. I have since learned to just ram one of those ear plugs in, roll over and pray I hear the bad guy coming in to steal my worldly goods.

Yep those are my lessons thus far, there are so many more I'm sure and here's to the up and coming years where we muddle through marriage learning how not to kill each other on the way.




Happy Anniversary babe- I truly hope your smile is as big as it was on our wedding day in the years to come.
XOXO

Top 10 List

10. Snuggling on the couch in our comfies
9. First morning smiles
8. Coffee
7. Tiny toes running through the house
6. Sears Wish Book
5. Anniversary Flowers
4. Take out dinner once kids are fed
3. Warm chocolate chip cookies
2. Comfy sheets and a warm duvet cover
1. FAMILY.

The Tank's first year

Click here to view this photo book larger

New look!

Neglected.

I have been sooooooo neglectful. It seems as though life has been in a time warp and we've been on auto pilot.

Fast update:
Superkid is almost 4
Tank is nearly 20months
It is our 3rd Wedding Annivesary- yeah. Your math is right.
I am working and things are C-R-A-Z-Y

I often think about blogging and wonder do I have the time, can I make the time and even more so I often think about things to write and then I forget.

Superkid took it upon herself to throw up in her sleeve when I was dropping her off at daycare today so here we are huddled up on this cold blech day watching TV and having some mom and Superkid time. Tank and I had the opportunity to stay home on Monday together from this same stomach content producing virus so here we relax. Sometimes kind of nice to just enjoy a down day!

Updated pictures are to your right! More to come later.